


Cuffed

by ERL33



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Darcy Lewis, Canon Appropriate Violence, Family Feels, Gen, Loki Feels, Loki-centric, Post-Avengers (2012), Serious Injuries, Siblings, aftermath of war, idk I just have a lot of feelings, mentions of torture, pre literally everything else, thor and loki are still brothers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 06:39:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11225391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ERL33/pseuds/ERL33
Summary: After the fight is over and the battle is won, POWs are something that every victor has to deal with. And the Avengers are technically the victors here despite all the carnage. They didn't expect to feel anything but contempt for their POW but Loki has always had a way of turning expectations on their ears.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't been writing much lately so let me know what you think. This fic is unbetad so if you find any grammar/spelling errors, sorry about that. Leave some comments and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

They cuffed him like a common criminal. Loki sneered at the archer whose mind he had controlled as the man fastened the restraints too tightly to his thin wrists. No emotions showed on his face, though Loki knew he was hiding his feelings more effectively that anyone Loki had ever known, even himself. For a moment, Loki thought Barton would punch him. He supposed he deserved it. But honestly, it wasn't like he'd dug through the man’s entire life. He couldn’t bother to concern himself with that much baggage. He'd sifted around just enough to infiltrate SHIELD and the German lab, manipulate the Black Widow (which hadn’t worked! What the hell?), and find a few scientists that would be able and willing to help the doctor build his Chitauri a portal. Other than that, he had no interest in unleashing whatever horrors lay in Barton’s past. He had enough of his own to wrestle with.

Stark was watching him with wary eyes. He still hadn’t forgiven the demigod for throwing him out the window. Loki hadn’t forgiven the inventor for hitting him with his flying suit-in-a-box. The man had obviously been talking with Thor because Loki realized the cuffs on his wrists were draining him of his magic. He needed to get them off, or at least stop them from draining him and only restrain him. It was the only way he was going to survive the injuries inflicted by that monster.

Thinking of which, here came the green creature’s under-ego, Dr. Bruce Banner. The man was short and thin, almost reminding Loki of his own figure when he had been on the run. Banner approached and crouched next to the green-eyed demigod, a bag in one hand. Loki was too tired to even snarl as Banner began to inspect him. Shifting so he could see the man’s face, he saw a myriad of emotions on the good doctor’s face. Anger, approval, resentment, pain, sorrow, regret, pity. That last one was almost enough to make Loki jump up and start shouting nonsense words that sounded like spells just to see the humans panic. But Thor would know immediately what he was doing and that wouldn’t do.

He could see the big lummox out of the corner of his eye, talking quietly with their commander and inspecting the rest of his team. His friends. They were all dirty and battered from battle, exhaustion showing in every line of their bodies. The Black Widow leaned on the bar, trying to hide the leg injury she had received in battle. Loki watched as Thor narrowed his eyes, taking in everything as his gaze swept over her form. Without any fanfare he walked away from the Captain as he was speaking, gently lifted the red haired woman in his arms, and carried her to the miraculously intact couch. For a moment the woman looked absolutely murderous but then she relaxed into the larger man’s hold. He called for Banner, asking him to attend to the woman’s wound. The doctor left after scarcely a cursory look at their captive. Loki wasn’t sure if he should be grateful or resentful.

The Captain was hovering over his team, fidgeting anxiously as he watched. Loki knew what he was thinking. He was trying to figure the best way to lead them through the hardest part of battle, the end. The part where time stops moving so fast and the adrenaline drains away. When wounds reveal themselves with pain and blood, the full impact of what had happened hits the soldiers who were fighting. Rogers looked as if he wanted to help Banner attend the wounded, but couldn’t. He wanted to talk to Stark, who was conversing emphatically to the air, but was unsure if he would be welcomed into the conversation. Thor was calm and composed, like a good leader should be, Loki thought without his consent. Then the captain stiffened and came his way. Uh oh. The soldier had found something he was familiar with. A Prisoner Of War.

“Lets get you out of here.” He growled, lifting the smaller man to his feet by grabbing an arm and the back of his coat. Loki did his best not to grimace as his many injuries were jostled. No good showing these people how much pain he was in. It would only make matters worse. Thor barely glanced up as he was dragged from the room. He was too preoccupied by something Doctor Banner was saying. Loki told himself the sharp pain in his chest was just broken bones.

***

S.H.I.E.L.D. threw him into a high security holding cell to await transport back to Asgard for judgment. They figured that if the old legends were true, no punishment they could dole out would hold a candle to the All-Father’s wrath. Loki shuddered and did his best not to think about that. Instead, he focused on rerouting the magic that tried to drain out of the cuffs and used it to help heal all his various injuries. It wasn’t anywhere near what he could have done at full power but even without the cuffs, he wouldn’t have had his magic reserves fully stocked. He had been running on fumes since arriving on this planet. That little act in Germany had left him so exhausted he had slept the whole night through. Well, that had been the plan, hadn’t it? To finally get some rest. To not be disturbed by the nightmares that haunted him even in his waking hours.

Loki dozed as best he could in the permeating silence. He had been locked away for hours without any sign of life from the outside… maybe they had left him to rot with his thoughts. Surely someone would have come by now. Agents extracting revenge for their dead colleagues. Or someone bringing him his obligatory last meal. But no, no one had even bothered- wait a moment, what was that?

The door slid open and a young woman walked in. She looked like a junior agent. Her uniform was standard issue, her dark brown hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Loki tried to sneer at her but it looked more like a grimace.

“Here is your meal, Mr. Odinson.” She said, slight mockery in her voice. Quick as lightning, Loki was up and striking at her face. As if she had expected it, the girl slid out of the way to let him pass, then grabbed his hair and shoved him up against the wall. Odin, that hurt! His ribs protested such rough handling and his headache returned with a ferocity he did not know a headache could posses. “Not a chance. We have orders not to kill you but Director Fury doesn’t trust anyone but me to follow those orders.”

“Well, then, I guess I’m in luck.” Loki tried to growl, but it came out as more of a gasp.

“Oh no, you are completely out of luck. And if you will hold still, I will work a little magic on you.” She told him, her voice holding no hint of murder, but no kindness either. “Ah, there we go. Look how pretty you are now.”

Loki felt her let go of his hair and he took a step away from the wall. He looked down at his hands… blue.

“What have you done to me?!” he cried out in horror. He looked into her face. Malice so strong that even her smile looked deadly settled on her the way Thor’s cape settled on his shoulders as he entered into battle.

“Revealed you for what you are. You won’t be able to hide behind your illusion anymore.” She told him. His hands began to tremble. “Now, when you go back to Asgard for justice, they will see nothing but a hated frost giant. What kind of punishment do you think they will exact upon you for your crimes? I mentioned to Thor that perhaps you should be exiled to Frotunheim this time. See how long someone like you will last among the erupting volcanoes and hot water springs of that arid hell hole.”

Loki’s legs gave out as he stared at his hands. Her words were too close of a reminder of the Chitauri and their brand of ‘pain’. He began to tremble from top to toe. He wasn’t sure he could survive something like that, especially if it came from his so called ‘family’.

***

Darcy Lewis was not happy to be the delivery girl for Loki’s meals. Okay, so she did have previous knowledge of him and Director Fury himself had said that he didn’t trust any other agent in the man’s cell to break him down. But really, she wasn’t getting paid to be a glorified waitress. That was, until Tony gave her a magical toy to play with and the chance at revenge. She could still see people screaming and Thor almost dying when Loki had sent the Destroyer to Earth in her minds eye. The scent of smoke and gasoline and scorched hair was burned into her nostrils. Now, she had the upper hand and she was going to use it.

As Loki collapsed into the corner, Darcy felt her smile waver the tiniest bit. She hadn’t expected this to be so easy. Nothing was ever this easy. She readied herself for his next attack. Instead of striking at her, Loki began to tremble all over and rock ever so slightly back and forth.

“Congratulations, Ms. Lewis. You have broken your first POW. Good work. He won’t attack anyone now.” Sitwell’s voice crackled in the comms unit in her ear. Darcy smiled at the camera in the far left hand corner of the room. She was about to walk out of the room when Darcy noticed something was wrong with their prisoner. There were splashes of blood on the wall in front of him. Just a few little droplets but enough to warrant an investigation.

Rolling her eyes, Darcy walked across the room in a three strides and hauled the frost giant back by his collar. He scrambled to hide his hands but she hand already grabbed one and inspected it. He had been trying to scratch off his own skin.

“We need a medic in here, pronto.” Darcy called to Sitwell. He grumbled. “He needs to be restrained before he tears off his own hands. If he dies of infection, Asgard will not be happy.”

“Medics are enroute.”

“Copy that.” Darcy flipped Loki onto his stomach, intending to immobilize him, but removed pressure from his back when he yelped with pain. Oh shit…

“How many broken ribs do you have?” she questioned harshly. Loki gave the faintest of head shakes. She pressed his arm into his back ever so slightly and he yelped again.

“Four. Two more are just cracked.” He rasped. His red eyes were turning an interesting shade of maroon before a solitary tear fell from his eye. Darcy let up pressure completely and gently turned him onto his back. Loki let his eyes fall shut, mastering the impulse to curl into a tight ball and sob like a baby. His eyes shot open when he felt his coat being removed. “What the devil do you think you are doing?!”

“These need to come off so we can evaluate your condition.” She told him. He batted her hands away.

“Change me back.” He begged, much to his horror. Darcy looked at him, a small frown on her face. “You humans would not understand the anatomy of a frost giant. If you have any hope of keeping me alive, I must be as close to a human as possible. Please change me back.”

“Thor says he’s telling the truth. Frost giant anatomy is greatly different from humans or Asgardians. Permission to change him back for medical purposes.” Sitwell authorized in her ear.

“I will change you back if you swear on you’re magic you will not attack anyone while you are being treated or transferred back to Asgard. That’s 3 days of good behavior.” Loki glared at her. “Its that or we let Medical attempt to heal a frost giant. Have you ever seen ET? Yeah, you are going to end up being a dissected carcass in the name of Scientific and Medical Advancements. Your choice…”

“I swear on my magic that I will not attack anyone while I am in medical or being transferred back to Asgard.” Loki said finally, the fight leaving him. Darcy nodded.

“We’re good here, boss.”

“Nice work, Ms. Lewis.” That was Director Fury’s voice. She smiled. Nice to know she was appreciated.

“Thank you, Boss of my Boss.” She waved the mechanical device Tony had given her and pressed the red “Do not press” button to change Loki back. As soon as he was he dark haired, green eyed self again, Darcy could get a better idea of how he fared. Not well, if his looks were anything to go by.

“You can cuff me now.” He said, sounding distant. His startling green eyes were glazed with pain and hopelessness. “I’m not strong enough to do more than flail my arms a bit but you can cuff me anyway. I know SHIELD would prefer their prisoner be in shackles.”

“You already are.” She told him, indicating the magic suppressers. He nodded.

“I could have healed myself if I didn’t have these on. But without my magic, I’m just a smaller than average… well… everything really. Not big enough to be a proper frost giant or Asgardian.” He said, slurring his words a little. It was as if he was drunk. Or so dazed by pain and exhaustion that he couldn’t hold his tongue…

“Is that why you went for magic and trickery then? Because it doesn’t matter about your physical size, all that matters is your mind and willpower?”

“Yes. But no one could ever understand back at home. If only I tried a little more. Practiced a little harder. Ate a little better. Then I’d be something worth being proud of. As I am, I’m the frost demon that connived his way into the court of Asgard. Thor will always be the pride and joy. I am the shadow because he shines so bright. So I stopped trying, or at least, I thought I did. Turns out I didn’t. I was always trying to make them proud, even though I knew it was impossible. Stupid right?” he grinned up at her with an empty smile and empty eyes. Darcy felt tears burn in her eyes but she blinked them away.

“No, not stupid. Taking innocent lives to prove you are a badass was stupid, but wanting your family’s love is not.” She told him. He glanced away.

“The Chitauri didn’t like an invasion plan that involved peace envoys and a non-hostile takeover. So I went with their plan... I didn’t like the alternative.” Loki shuddered again closed his eyes. He tried to curl onto his side but hissed in pain when his ribs protested. Darcy couldn’t stop herself as she reached out and ran a hand through his matted black hair. It was stiff with sweat, dirt, and probably blood.

That was when the medics burst in. They made quick work of raising the demigod onto the cot and binding his wrists with strong leather restraints. Darcy watched with a blank expression as they wheeled Loki out to a closed medical ward with extra surveillance. Then she followed, thinking harder than a junior agent was recommended to do.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Avengers are torn and Darcy is just trying to do the right thing... no matter how annoying it is.

The Avengers sat around the big conference room table, staring at the now blank screen where Darcy and Loki’s interaction had been broadcasted for their eyes alone. Director Fury and Agent Sitwell watched the team’s expressions as they observed their enemy be broken down by a polisci grad student/astrophysicist’s assistant/junior agent. Clint was now sure he wanted to be Darcy’s favorite Avenger and promised himself to go make friends very soon. At least, until she had started being nice to the mind controlling freak…

”Well, she did a good job.” Steve said finally, breaking the silence.

“She got him taken out of a secure location.” Tony complained.

“But he needed medical attention. She was the only one to realize that if the Hulk used a body for his own personal Raggedy Anne doll, that body might have some lasting injuries.” Banner pointed out, rather heatedly.

“Doc, you were attending to me. That’s why you didn’t check him over.” Natasha put in, testing Bruce not so subtly for his reaction. He waved his hand in a flippant gesture.

“Of course I attended you. We are a team, aren’t we? Teammates come first.” He said. Natasha relaxed into her seat a little more, the tiniest of smiles on her face.

“Well, we know that my illusion device does work both ways. That’s a good thing at least. And now we know that Loki’s illusion runs deeper than solely masking what he looks like. It changes his anatomy and physiology. Which is why no one ever guessed his true nature when he lived in Asgard.” Tony grumbled.

“It is true. This is more than an illusion, the All-Father told me as much. What it is exactly, though, I cannot be sure. I am not the magical mind in the family.” Thor announced.

“The magical mind in your family recently went batshit crazy on Manhattan.” Tony replied, not unkindly. Thor grimaced but nodded.

“So what do we do now?” Steve asked, hoping to direct the conversation away from any danger zones.

“Stick to the same plan. Dr. Banner, Stark, and Thor will continue to rebuild the portal with Dr. Selvig and Jane Foster. Junior Agent Lewis will remain on Loki watch. Captain Rogers and Agent Romanov can assist her.” Fury laid out.

“And what about me?” Clint piped up from his chair.

“Agent Barton, you have to undergo pysch evals and physical tests before you are field approved. You can take care of those while the others are preoccupied. I don’t need you to ‘accidentally’ shoot Loki through the eye because he twitched and you deemed it an attack. There is only one person around here who gets to wear an eye patch, and that would be me.” He said, staring the younger man down with his remaining eye. Clint rolled his eyes but nodded. “Good. Now I want you all out of my sight.”

“So a few steps to the right?” Tony asked. Fury looked like he might throw something at the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist. Knowing Fury, he had a grenade in his pocket for such an occasion, so Tony high tailed it out of there as fast as he could, dignity be damned. Steve stood and saluted, trying to contain a smile. The rest nodded and followed their leader out. Sitwell waited for Director Fury to give him his orders.

“Sitwell.” Fury said after a long silence.

“Yes, sir?”

“Report to Medical ward 36. Keep me posted.” The imposing leader of SHIELD ordered. Sitwell nodded and hurried out of the room, leaving the director staring at the blank screen.

***

 _This is crazy_ , Darcy thought as she walked through the halls of SHIELD. She carried a large cardboard box in her arms. As she approached the medical ward, she took a deep breath and steeled herself. Now for the tricky part.

“Who are you? What is that?” a nurse asked as Darcy tried to discreetly make her way past the central desk.

“Junior Agent Darcy Lewis, the poor sucker who is to guard the captive until he is shipped out for sentencing. This was given to me by the Director himself. Something about a new Stark toy to contain the captive and keep him harmless...” Darcy told the hard faced woman. Her mouth twitched a little but Darcy wasn’t quite sure what it meant.

“That man is about as helpless as a flea right now. He can barely lift his head. And since when does the Director himself assign a junior agent to guard our highest priority prisoner?”

“The Director likes to be thorough. Something about keeping the World Council happy after the fiasco on the Helicarrier. As for his reasons for assigning me, that is above both of our clearance levels. Look, I’ve got the Director’s pass right here on the box and I’m authorized to go in. Look it up. And can you tell me which room I can find the captive in?” Darcy replied, trying to sound calm and casual. The nurse seemed to believe her but she went to check Darcy’s story anyway. She didn’t want to get in trouble if Fury really did send this junior agent.

“All right, you check out. Room 231. Down that hall, it’s on your left.” The nurse told Darcy when she came back.

“Thank you.” Darcy flashed the woman a smile walked in the direction the woman had indicated. The room was easy to identify. Captain America stood at parade rest outside the door, inspecting everyone who went by. Darcy ordered herself to calm down. She couldn’t blow it now.

“Captain Rogers, I am Darcy Lewis. I am here to keep an eye on SHIELD’s current Most Hated Prisoner.” She said, shifting the box to show off a little more of her cleavage. Maybe that would grease her way.

“I know who you are. And stop that, its not decent.” Rogers said, going pink around the ears. He opened the door without questioning her further.

Not quite what I had in mind but hey, I’ll take what I can get. She thought as she passed the muscled super soldier.

As the door closed behind her, Darcy had to struggle to keep her face blank at the sight. Loki looked even worse than he had in the holding cell. Hooked up the IVs and machines made him look smaller and more helpless. She tried to remind herself he had killed so many people. He had destroyed so much of Manhattan. He had almost gotten the entire island nuked. He was the enemy.

His eyes opened when the door clicked shut and she heard the heart monitor pick up speed immediately. When he caught sight of her, he seemed to relax the slightest bit.

“I thought it might be the other assassin. They both have a grudge against me.” Loki said to the ceiling.

“And I don’t?” Darcy asked as she set the box on the chair next to his bed.

“Other than the obvious? No. Or do you?” Loki asked, trying to crane his head to look at her.

“You sent that giant metal fire-breathing thing to destroy your brother while I was living in that particular town. I watched it walk up the street and decimate the place. I nearly died. My boss nearly died. My mentor, my new friends, all the townspeople. You did that.” She told him. He frowned.

“Really? I- I’m- I’m sorry.” He said, choking on the words.

“I’m sure you are.” Darcy sneered. His frowned deepened.

“Actually, for once, I don’t think I’m being sarcastic. They’ve got me on some excellent pain drugs. Well, at least its better than before.” He told her. She considered him for a moment before turning away and staring across the room. A small smile crossed her face.

“Agent Romanov, please stop with the hiding. Its quite unnerving.”

The Black Widow jumped down from the top of the cabinet in the far corner of the room. There were no emotions in her features as she inspected the junior agent.

“You found me before he even revealed that you were not alone.” She finally said, the tiniest hint of a Russian burr in her voice. She must have been pretty relaxed to not have schooled that from her voice. Or maybe that’s just what she wanted Darcy to think. Damn spy mind games.

“I wasn’t delusional enough to think SHIELD put me in a room with their highest priority criminal without some professional backup. You and Cap are the best I could have hoped for. Him because he is all about justice and you because, unlike most of your fellows, you have self control.” Darcy told her. The faintest hint of a smile crept onto the older woman’s mouth.

“At least you are intelligent. My orders are to be within assistance distance of you and the captive. I believe on the other side of the door counts.” And with that, the ex KGB operative walked from the room.

“I want to be her when I grow up.” Darcy announced as she turned back to the box on the chair.

“There doesn’t need to be more of her in the world. One is all Midgard can handle.” Loki told her, deadpanned. Darcy’s lips twitched.

“Maybe with two badass women taking care of it, other dimensions won’t be so interested in invading us.” She told him, taking the box’s contents out and laying it on the bedside table.

“A truer statement has never been made. What is that?” he replied. The scent of what she had brought made him attempt to move his head to get a look.

“Dinner.” Darcy told him. He stopped trying to see.

“I hope you enjoy your meal.” He told her. There was the faintest hints of bitterness and longing in his voice.

“It’s a good thing I brought enough for two. It would be absolute torture for you to watch me eat while you were just forced to lay there. Wouldn’t it?” she said, sitting in the now empty chair. His eyes flicked dangerously at her.

“You are incredibly rude and cruel, Darcy Lewis. You need not mock me and my condition. It is bad enough as is.”

“That’s ‘Agent Lewis’, to you. And I wasn’t being sarcastic either.” She told him. This time, when he tried to look at her, there was the unmistakable look of hope shining faintly in his green eyes.

“I do not believe you.” He told her. His voice would have convinced anyone not looking at him that he was as careless and cold as a rock. One glance at his eyes revealed the truth.

“Wasn’t I bringing you food in the holding cell?” she asked. He stared up at her, his green eyes huge and unblinking. “You need to eat. I am your bona fide babysitter for the next few days so part of my job is to make sure you are fed. We can’t have you dying on us because you haven’t eaten.” She told him. He blinked and looked away.

“I cannot eat.” He told her at last.

“What can you not eat?”

“Anything. Whenever I try, I throw up.” He told her softly. Wow, he must be on some damn good drugs to be this honest… maybe the doctors had given him something to smooth her way. Darcy decided to bring a chocolate covered fruit basket down either way. Medical needed a treat after the week they were having.

“What have you tried to eat? Who gave it to you?” she questioned. He thought for a moment before saying,

“One of those American Cheeseburgers. And then something called a strudel from Germany. After that I stopped trying. Agent Barton gave them to me.” He told her.

“And before that?” she prodded further.

“The Chitauri don’t exactly offer their prisoners 5 star accommodations.” Loki told her, a sneer not meant entirely for her in his voice.

“So you haven’t eaten properly since you were on Asgard?” Darcy was doing her best to remain unemotional but it was very hard.

“You could say that. They gave me enough to stay alive but that isn’t much for me. And their food is… different.” He told her.

“We will find a way to start introducing nutrients back into your body. We know from Thor that you eat a lot of the same kinds of food on Asgard as we do here. Besides, we’re human, we always find a way.” She told him. He was doing his best to look doubtful or annoyed but all he managed was that slightly hopeful look. Even his brother’s name didn’t seem to bother him as much.

“That is the largest understatement of this millenia.” He told her, his voice completely deadpanned. Darcy couldn’t help but chuckle. Then she hit the button to call in the nurse. The door burst open and the Captain rushed in, looking ready for battle.

“Captain Rogers, there is no emergency that requires you unless you have extensive medical knowledge.” Darcy told him as she applied herself to he meal. Steve looked from the small-looking man lying motionless in the bed to the junior agent who was working her way through a pile of food next to him.

“Are you sure you are all right?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. I need a nurse to keep him alive. I’m not sure how much longer he is going to last.” Darcy told him, looking up to meet his gaze firmly. Captain Rogers nodded and left the room. A moment later, Agent Romanov entered with a nervous looking man who Darcy figured was a nurse.

“No. Not him. He is too freaked out. All he’ll do is mess up. We need this patient alive. I didn’t bring him to medical just for a scared out of his wits nurse to kill him because his hands weren’t steady. Bring Caroline.” She told Agent Romanov in a steady tone that brooked no argument. The man fled without waiting for any more of an excuse. Rolling her eyes, the redhead strode out and returned a few minutes later with the nurse that had inspected and directed Darcy when she first entered medical.

“This is what I get for being nice to junior agents. Extra work.” Caroline complained as she walked in. Darcy smiled up at her.

“Because you are the only competent medical personnel in this entire ward. Don’t worry, I’m sure you will be compensated for extra stressful circumstances.” Darcy told her.

“Honey, my job consists entirely of exceptionally stressful circumstances. What is the problem?” Caroline told her as she moved to Loki’s bedside.

“He hasn’t eaten properly in a very long time. As in, no one can remember the last decent meal he ate. It could have been on Asgard for all we know. He is severely emaciated.” Darcy told her. Caroline’s mouth tightened.

“I see. Let me check his vitals.” She proceeded to go through his chart, her mouth tightening each time she flipped to another page. Finally she set the clipboard down with a clatter on the table. “I am going to consult your brother about the best medical treatment and then start pushing nutrients. We cannot begin without knowing what we are doing. Your anatomy is not the same as a humans, however similar it may seem.”

“Will his true parentage have any effect on his treatment?” Darcy piped up. Without thinking, she had reached out and held Loki’s hand as the nurse had talked to him. She had been in enough hospital rooms in the past year for the action to become habit.

“I don’t believe so. This illusion is more than a simple glamour. I need to have a base for what Asgardian vitals should look like so we know how to get him back to as normal as can be.” Caroline told her, ignoring the way Darcy behaved as if she were Loki’s sister or friend. Caroline too had seen far more agents with serious injuries lately than she was used to as well.

“All right. Is it okay if I try to give him some light food to see if he can keep it down?” Darcy asked, indicating the box next to her chair. Caroline’s mouth lost a little of its pinched look despite herself.

“If he vomits, you have to clean it up and put his IVs back in.” the stern orderly told her before exiting the room. Loki looked up at Darcy with wide green eyes.

“What was that about?” he asked.

“Like I said, I didn’t get your sorry ass dragged up to medical for you to die because no one here has any sense. The political atmosphere between Midgard and Asgard would take a serious turn for the worse. Not to mention Thor would probably destroy anyone he thought mistreated his brother.” Darcy told him, removing her hand from his as soon as the nurse had left. She bent over to pick up the box that she had placed on the floor to make room on the chair.

“Thor would probably help them now… after everything.” Loki said listlessly to the ceiling. Then he squeezed his eyes shut tight, his mouth twisting in a grimace. He obviously hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

“Thor would move heaven and earth if it meant keeping you from harm. He loves you even if you no longer feel the same way.” Darcy told him.

“He never loved me.” Loki hissed with more of his usual vigor.

“I call your bullshit.” That shocked him into silence. “You are just upset because no one mentioned you were adopted. And you have a serious case of ‘Little Brother Syndrome”. Don’t worry, it’s a common problem here on Midgard. We can find someone for you to talk to about it as part of your treatment.” Darcy told him, pulling out a cup of unsweetened applesauce from her box.

“‘Little Brother Syndrome’?” he choked out.

“Yeah, its that feeling of not being good enough to measure up to a sibling, usually an older sibling. Feeling less loved than them by your parents. Happens all the time.” Darcy explained. As she talked, her hands were busy. She opened the applesauce, fished a plastic spoon out of the bottom of a plastic bag, and pressed a button to move his bed so Loki now sat in a more upright position. His hands were still restrained by the leather bonds.

“Many people feel this way?” he pressed, making sure he had heard her right.

“Yeah. It’s almost universal among siblings. There are very few families who have more than one child that don’t suffer from it. They grow out of it in time. Eventually the kids realize that they are simply different from their sibling. Not worse and not better. Their parents love them the same. And if the parents are stupid enough to love one child more, then they have failed as parents and the child finds other people who value them for who they are.” Darcy continued.

“So which party do you belong to?” Loki asked, wriggling until he sat in a more comfortable position.

“Only child.” She smiled up at him.

“Ah. Then you do not speak from experience?” the demigod almost sounded disappointed.

“I’m the ‘other person’ for many people. They are like family to me now. That’s how I know so much. That and I’m a poli-sci major. I had to take psych classes to graduate.” She quipped.

“I see. And do you live with this ‘family’?” he asked.

“I don’t see why it matters to you. Now open up. You need to eat.” Darcy was able to cut off her charge by stuffing a spoonful of applesauce in his mouth when he tried to argue. He choked a little before swallowing and immediately opening his mouth again for more. He looked like a baby bird. Scrawny, ragged and completely helpless. His beaky nose didn’t help to dispel the image from her mind as she spooned in more applesauce.

“What is this stuff?” he asked after the fifth bite.

“Mashed up apples. Made it myself.” She told him, screwing the cap back onto her tiny Tupperware and stowing it back into the bag.

“Homemade?” Loki pressed, curious despite himself.”Yes, it was part of my lunch. However, seeing as it was the lightest food I had on hand, I sacrificed it for a good cause. Making sure you don’t throw up all over me like a baby bird who ate too fast is my first concern.”

“I am not a baby bird.” Loki snarled. Darcy couldn’t help it. She laughed aloud, boisterous and genuine.

“When you get nasty like that, you look like one. Neck all stretched out and angry, trying to rip my nose off but you can’t quite reach.” she told him.

“At least I’m not a mother hen.” He told her grumpily. She was shocked he hadn’t flown into a rage. Maybe he really was the god of mischief instead of utter destruction.

“Bock bock bock bock.” Darcy clucked, tucking her hands to her armpits and waving her elbows. Loki chuckled in spite of himself.

“You humans are so odd.”

“Yes, but so are you. Everyone is a little weird. Its what you do with it that counts.” She told him as she put the rest of her lunch back in the box. When she looked back at him, Loki had fallen asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Thor finally have a conversation that was a long (long long LONG) time coming. Thor shows emotional growth. Loki gets over himself a little bit. Things improve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after some more thought and editing, I'm going to end this fic here. I feel like I was trying to make this some epically long saga when it really didn't need to be.
> 
> So yay! It's complete. Let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is always appreciated <3

When Loki awoke, he knew immediately he was not alone. He also knew that it was not Darcy sitting by his bedside. With great care, he cracked one eyelid to sneak a glance at who was invading his personal space. To his utter shock, he saw Thor. The man was watching him, a look of consternation on his face.

“Wha-“ Loki tried to sneer but his throat was so dry he couldn’t even form one word. Startled, Thor looked into his eyes with those electric blue orbs that made every female on Asgard melt into soft putty. Loki’s emerald green eyes stared back, trying to remain blank but failing miserably. Thor reached for the cup of water with a straw that rested on Loki’s bedside table and raised it to his little brother’s chapped lips. Loki wished he had the will to refuse but his throat screamed for moisture to end its parched agony. Glaring, he lifted his head to reach the straw and swallow as Thor gently tipped the cup back. When he had drained the cup, Loki fell back against the pillows with a soft thump.

“How are you feeling, bro- Loki?” Thor asked, changing his mind mid-word. Loki felt his heart crumple a little. So he had finally stopped trying to convince him they were family. Loki thought that he should be triumphant now that Thor had finally caved to his words but for once he wished Thor wouldn’t have listened to him.

“So we are no longer brothers?” Loki asked, the words falling from his mouth against his will. He grimaced at the candidacy of his question. Thor sat back, looking a little stunned and a lot sad.

“I will always think of you as my brother, Loki. I meant what I said on that mountain. Family is more than blood and genealogies. However, I have been informed that in your state, I should not rile you by using phrases that are known to anger you. Considering you start shouting every time I call you ‘brother’, the staff thought it might be best if I call you by your name instead.” Thor explained, using so many words that Loki couldn’t help but be impressed. The Thor he was used to didn’t speak with such thought put into his words. The brother he had grown up with was more like a bull being set loose in the vulgarities section of a library.

“I appreciate your consideration. As I have already promised Darcy, I will not cause any trouble while I am here.” He told Thor. The other man smiled.

“Darcy is a forbidding woman, is she not?”

“She rivals Sif as for the title ‘Most Terrifying Female’.” Loki found himself joking. The chuckle it brought from Thor made his heart feel lighter, and even a little warmer.

“I do not deny it. She was able to take me down with one blow from her tiny electric device. However, I believe that my other comrade, The Black Widow, would win the title without lifting a finger.” Thor countered. Now it was Loki’s turn to chuckle.

“Ay, that woman is utterly mortifying. She played me like a lyre. I had no intention of letting you all know that setting off Dr. Banner’s alter ego was my plan. Her manipulation is almost superior to my own.” Loki confided, the corners of his mouth turning upwards ever so slightly.

“Almost? She did manipulate you quite effectively, even as you were trying to manipulate her. I have seen the recording, dear brother.” Thor guffawed. Instead of getting angry as he had become accustomed to, Loki pouted.

“I will blame that on fluke and my lack of strength. That is my story-“ Thor joined in this well rehearsed phrase.

“And I am sticking to it.” Both men found themselves laughing heartily at their childhood joke.

“I have missed you, brother. This you, the one who laughs and jokes and pokes fun at my flaws.” Thor told him when they had quieted. Loki glanced over at him.

“You hate it when I poke fun at you. It drives you mad.” Loki protested, remembering very clearly an incident where he had made a jab so close to the truth that Thor had chased him through the palace, knocking over furniture and breaking at least three windows in the process. They had only stopped when their mother had appeared in front of them, hair frizzing out with electricity, the way Thor’s did when he was annoyed. In fact, they both had the frizzing hair at that moment. Loki smiled at the memory.

“Ay, it does drive me mad sometimes. But no one else is willing to point out my flaws and poke fun at my pride. If not for you, I would be the most pigheaded man in all the universe. Well, you and Jane. I believe you would like her. She is very fond of calling me ‘crazy’ and ‘strange’. You would have plenty of stories to share.” Thor told his little brother excitedly. Loki’s eyes shifted away, his expression becoming sad.

“I doubt I will ever get the chance. After the havoc I have wrought on this realm, I believe my punishment will last for many centuries.” Loki told him. Thor frowned, only then remembering why Loki was laid up in a locked hospital ward with guards watching from every angle.

“We shall see brother.” Thor told him, thinking that he would do anything to keep Loki from being harmed.

“It’s all right, Thor. It is no more than I deserve.” The resignation in his voice made Thor wince. It was not often he’d heard his little brother sound as if he were truly out of tricks. Only once, in fact.

“I will speak to our father on your behalf. And you know mother will badger him endlessly. You will be all right, brother.” Thor told him. A spark of rage flared in Loki’s chest. How dare he?! How dare Thor take his life from his shackled hands? He was already a captive. Might as well take everything from him. “Unless you wish for me to remain silent.”

“I- wait, what?” Loki’s heated response withered on his tongue. What had he said?

“If you do not wish me to interfere, I will hold my tongue. I only wish to help you in any way I can. I will let you decide.” Thor’s blonde hair fell farther around his face and his face was pinched with unhappiness. Loki tried to process this new turn in events. When was the last time Thor asked permission instead of forgiveness? Not in the last 1000 years at least.

“Thank you. I would be grateful for your help.” Loki whispered so softly he half hoped Thor would not hear him. The joy in Thor’s face was enough to fend off the embarrassment of his admission.

“I will do all that I can. For now, you need rest.” Thor patted his arm gently as he rose from the straining plastic chair that had been struggling to hold his considerable weight. Heat permeated from his touch, seeping into Loki’s bones and warming him to his core. Ever since his visit to Jotunheim, he had felt the chill of it settled in his bones. No matter where he had gone or what he had done, his body refused to thaw. But one touch from the god of Thunder and it felt as if the sun had finally decided to shine. The darkness in the corners of his mind finally receded, allowing him to think clearly for the first time in months. Maybe even years.

“Thank you, brother.” Loki murmured as his eyes slid shut. He was asleep before he could see the tears run down Thor’s face.

 


End file.
